Nephrolithiasis is a painful disorder of the urinary tract which may be further complicated by frequent recurrences. The incidence of kidney stones is on the rise primarily due to an increase in obesity and changes in diet. While the primary etiology is an increase in crystal forming substances in the urine, several contributing factors like diet, genetics, environment and supplemental medications can further aggravate the risk. A risk prediction of susceptible patients would drastically minimize morbidity and optimize treatment outcomes.
This problem may be solved partly by the online risk predictor tool developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic. This tool is based on the findings of the Rochester Epidemiology Project—carried out from 1984 to 2017—which explored the basic characteristics of chronic kidney stone patients from Olmsted County. Majority of the subjects in this project…
